AKSCUBA.COM NEWS
March 10, 2010
SITE MAINTENANCE Our old server was limiting and slow. In order to accommodate our changing needs, we have decided to move to a new address. Welcome to it! Unfortunately, the move has interfered with certain of the site's features, including the most popular feature (the forums). Please bear with us for the next few days as we work out some kinks and reenable these features.
It's easy to silt out yourself and your buddy in Alaska's muddy conditions. Avoid it by staying off the bottom (five feet is good,) improving your kicks (if you are pushing the water backward to propel you forward then you aren't pushing it down to stir up the muck,) and changing your finning techniques. Proven techniques to avoid silting out include the modified flutter and the frog kick.
This page will eventually list regulations and laws relevant to the dive community in Alaska. For now, make use of the tremendous Alaska Legal Resource Center. It will take you to all of the state regs and statutes.
For fishing regulations, you'll want to visit Alaska Department of Fish and Game, Sport Fish Division website. It has a clickable map that will show you regulations whereever you want to fish. A few notes:
- Spear fishing is allowed, as long as you are fully submerged
- There is an annual limit of 2 sharks, so every shark has to be recorded immediately
Whittier (Prince William Sound regs):
- King Salmon - open all year, 2 per day/4 in possession limit. No size restrictions.
- Other Salmon - open all year, 6 per day/12 in possession limit. No size restrictions.
- Silver Salmon - open all year, 3 per day/3 in possession limit. No size restrictions. Counts against your "Other Salmon" limit
- Halibut - Closed in January, 2 per day/4 in possession limit. No size. Note that you cannot catch 2 limits on the same day or fish by proxy
- Shark - open all year, 1 per day/1 in possession limit. You must record sharks, and there is an annual limit of 2.
- Lingcod - open July - December, 2 per day/4 in possession limit. Must be 35" long, or 28" without a head.
- Rockfish - open all year. From May - September 15, you may only take 5 per day. The rest of the year you may take 10 per day. Limit of 10 in possession year round. Only 2 may be non-pelagic.
- Other ocean finfish - have at 'em. Open all year, no limits.
- King, Tanner, and Dungeness crab - closed.
Seward (North Gulf Coast regs):
- King Salmon - open all year, 1 per day/1 in possession limit. No size restrictions.
- Other Salmon - open all year, 6 per day/6 in possession limit. No size restrictions.
- Silver Salmon - open all year, 3 per day/3 in possession limit. While you are in Resurrection Bay (Seward), the limit bumps up to 6/6. No size restrictions. Counts against your "Other Salmon" limit
- Halibut - Closed in January, 2 per day/4 in possession limit. No size. Note that you cannot catch 2 limits on the same day or fish by proxy
- Shark - open all year, 1 per day/1 in possession limit. You must record sharks, and there is an annual limit of 2.
- Lingcod - open July - December, 2 per day/4 in possession limit. Must be 35" long, or 28" without a head. You cannot take lingcod in Resurrection Bay, and if you have lingcod in your boat you cannot fish in Res. Bay.
- Rockfish - open all year, 5 per day/10 in possession limit. Only 1 per day/2 in possession may be non-pelagic.
- Other ocean finfish - have at 'em. Open all year, no limits.
- King, Tanner, and Dungeness crab - closed.
Homer (Gulf Coast regs):
- King Salmon - open all year, 2 per day/2 in possession limit. No size restrictions. The rules are different north of bluff point
- Other Salmon - open all year, 6 per day/6 in possession limit. No size restrictions.
- Silver Salmon - open all year, 3 per day/3 in possession limit. Counts against your "Other Salmon" limit
- Halibut - Closed in January, 2 per day/4 in possession limit. No size. Note that you cannot catch 2 limits on the same day or fish by proxy
- Shark - open all year, 1 per day/1 in possession limit. You must record sharks, and there is an annual limit of 2.
- Lingcod - open July - December, 2 per day/2 in possession limit. Must be 35" long, or 28" without a head.
- Rockfish - open all year, 5 per day/10 in possession limit. Only 1 per day/2 in possession may be non-pelagic.
- Other ocean finfish - have at 'em. Open all year, no limits.
- King, Tanner, and Dungeness crab - closed.